Weather
Young couple arrested after cops’ drug raid (From Echo)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting ECHONEWS to 80360, or email us »
Young couple arrested after cops’ drug raid
7:00am Thursday 29th July 2010
A YOUNG woman wept as she and boyfriend were arrested in a drugs raid at their church-owned home.
Officers from Southend swooped on the terraced house, in Surbiton Road, Southchurch, after neighbours raised concerns that Class A drugs were being dealt from the house.
At about 9.05am on Tuesday, the door of the red-brick home was forced open and nine officers entered to search the house, aided by a sniffer dog.
It is understood the property was given to local church group, Southend Christian Fellowship, by a parishioner, and is used as a halfway house to home vulnerable people, who pay a nominal rent.
Acting Detective Sergeant Bob Evans, of Southend CID, who led the search, said: “We were acting in response to residents’ concerns about drug dealing in the premises.
“A warrant was executed which resulted in the arrest of a man and a woman, and, at the address, a quantity of a substance, believed to be drugs, was found.
“Drug dealing and antisocial behaviour are causing concern for residents. It has been going on for two months and we have dealt with it before. We hoped that would have stopped the problem. People who choose to do this should know they will be dealt with.”
Although the house is attractively decorated, the interior was awash with overflowing bags of rubbish, with surfaces covered in filth and piles of clothes and toys everywhere.
While family pictures decorated the walls, large knives were found on coffee tables and underneath beds.
Acting Det Sgt Evans said: “Having come back to the premises for the second time, they have been found in a far worse condition than the first time. It’s dirty and unsafe, with needles lying around and drug paraphernalia lying about. Basically, it’s not fit to live in.”
When contacted by the Echo about the raid, a representative of Southend Christian Fellowship said he was not prepared to comment on the situation.
* A 23-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and were bailed until September 28.
More Southend stories
- Pioneering treatment for Southend Hospital's cancer patients
- Legal change could set arcades’ tills ringing
- Police report success in teen booze crackdown
- Southend Airport hotel given go ahead
- c2c rail line hailed as most punctual in the UK
- Child badly injured in traffic accident outside Shoebury school
- Gun range danger alerts for families
- New rescue boat is first for fire service
- Rocky Horror and Christopher Biggins ready to shock and roll
- Residents offered behind-the-scenes glimpse of work at Southend airport
Your Say YourEcho
radioman, westcliff-on-sea says...
9:12am Thu 29 Jul 10
RJS1974, Leigh On Sea says...
9:17am Thu 29 Jul 10
just goes to show, crime doesnt pay.
Tiger Rider, southend on-sea says...
9:18am Thu 29 Jul 10
village of the damned wrote:If drugs were legal, there would be no redress for neighbours.
there be less crime if they legalised drugs and consentrated on the real criminals like people who terrorise defenceless and disabled women.
ie loud music day and night, shouting and fighting, maybe even gun and knife crime because a deal has gone wrong, (in the above article large knives were found under beds and on tables), general intimidating and anti-social behaviour from desperate junkies wanting money to score. Do you really want to live next door or even up the road to this?
Legalizing drugs and making them available from licensed premises as in alcohol does on the face of it seem like a good idea, however it will not stop this, it is cultural and it is getting worse. Idiot would be gangster types want to be "the man".
Tiger Rider, southend on-sea says...
9:41am Thu 29 Jul 10
It is not beneath them to quote the bible at naive church groups to get what they want, and once they get it they revert to type and make everyone else's life a misery, with noise, anti-social behaviour (often intimidating), and hoards of others just like them coming and going it can be likened to living next door to a noisy party 24/7.
When will church groups realize that by pandering to these types they are exacerbating the problem. If the above was truly grateful for his low rent home (there are thousands that would be) he would have at least kept a low profile and not annoyed his neighbours, which is probably why the prat got caught in the first place.
When will these stupid arrogant church groups understand that the only people that can change a junkies life it the junkies themselves. By "helping" these types, you are exacerbating the problem and promoting misery for everyone, including neighbours, families, and even the junkies themselves.
SafetySam, Rochford says...
10:32am Thu 29 Jul 10
Only because they had been caught though!
What did they really expect?
Once again it is the general public and neighbours who report criminal activity. The police rely 99% on the public to do the watching and reporting of criminal activity (and even sometimes the catching of the criminals).
Hope this encourages the public to report all dodgy activities. The police are hopeless (sorry should read helpless) without public assistance.
Nebs, Westcliff-on-Sea says...
10:54am Thu 29 Jul 10
Prittlewell Man, Southend says...
11:40am Thu 29 Jul 10
village of the damned wrote:You complete IDIOT, drug users are still going to break in to houses, mug people in the street etc, they still need to fund their habit
there be less crime if they legalised drugs and consentrated on the real criminals like people who terrorise defenceless and disabled women.
tttutor, near Hadleigh says...
11:59am Thu 29 Jul 10
tttutor, near Hadleigh says...
11:59am Thu 29 Jul 10
Tom from Southend, says...
12:58pm Thu 29 Jul 10
typical, in it for the money. What about their neighbours, did they consider checking the property out, especially as there centre is only at the end of the road. In it for the money ! Practice what you PREACH.
maywood, Langdon Hills says...
1:17pm Thu 29 Jul 10
cliveyivey, rayleigh says...
1:30pm Thu 29 Jul 10
spittingfeathers, leigh says...
2:15pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Audioman, Wickford says...
4:01pm Thu 29 Jul 10
soul man, canvey says...
6:32pm Thu 29 Jul 10
radioman wrote:its because they have no sense of decency or life, they have to be drugged up cos they are useless low life anyway, going nowhere, unlike yourself, they will not see your longevity, serves them right eh, does that clarify it a bit
After 81 years of living, I still do not understand the attraction of strongly addictive drugs. Can any one explain this to me?
stropmag, Billericay says...
7:07pm Thu 29 Jul 10
jayman, southend says...
7:08pm Thu 29 Jul 10
torridpiper, essexman says...
8:09pm Thu 29 Jul 10
MUSHY, says...
8:14pm Thu 29 Jul 10
If you want to let your feelings known on this, write or drop in to the Southend Christian fellowship, Plaza centre 600 Soutchurch Road and tell them exactly what effect their policy of trying to rehabilitate druggies in a built up residential area is having
Also "The Project" charity shop in Southchuirch road is run by the same church to subsidise this whole operation so think twice before you donate or buy anything there as you may well be helping facilitate this whole operation
Why dosent the church open their eyes to whats going on there, another resident of this house was busted for drug dealing a few months ago and this couple(of idiots) have a little girl who has to live in this squalor with addicts regularly visiting the house
Why not sell the house and buy a property away from the town and its drug temtations, why not check the property each month and test the tenants as part of their rehabilitation deal
Nebs, Westcliff-on-Sea says...
8:37pm Thu 29 Jul 10
spittingfeathers, leigh says...
9:19pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Southendman, Southend-on-Sea says...
9:29pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Dumbnut, Southend says...
3:16am Fri 30 Jul 10
Audioman wrote:They're not 6ft under as yet!. Bailed until 28th september. What are the chances of them showing up?
Yet two more scum bags bite the dust!!bet they both get off with a small fine,if they cannot pay Joe Publice will pay yet again.
karen29, Grays says...
12:37pm Fri 30 Jul 10
Southendman wrote:The Mr Bigs always live in nice areas but keep their heads down and blend in - they don't want the Police or anyone else knowing what they are upto.
This town is drowning under drug crime now it should be renamed Crackhead-on-Sea! Those living in nice expensive 'comfortable' areas like Thorpe Bay, Leigh, Chalkwell etc should watch out too. The gangs from London have massive wealth and can pay any rent in any area they decide to move into.
.
Meanwhile the wannabe hardboy gangstas act like anti social scum and wonder why the Police descend on them like a tonne of bricks.
.
Could it be they stick out like a sore thumb?
essex beaufighter, Billericay says...
4:13pm Fri 30 Jul 10
essexlad08, canvey says...
10:26am Sat 31 Jul 10
Under arrest – police lead away a man following the raid
Escort - a police officer leads away a woman
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
village of the damned, says...
8:57am Thu 29 Jul 10